"No worries, I can handle it, I'm fine! I'll hold down Ah Gan and give confidence to the team."
Kevin Garnett glared and said through gritted teeth.
Philip Saunders understood what Garnett meant.
He is the leader of the team, and since the opponent's leader is back on the court, he must suppress him to boost the team's morale.
Offensively, there's not much hope; Garnett tried, but against the Trail Blazers' strong individual defense, his efforts fell short.
Now, Garnett is truly confident in his defense. If he can suppress Ah Gan in the upcoming defenses, it would be a huge morale boost for the team.
Sanders hesitated for a moment. He thought, at this point, tactical arrangements aren't that important; the players' morale is decisive.
So, he agreed to Garnett's request and decided to let him go one-on-one against Gan Guoyang in the upcoming games.
When he went on the court, Garnett vigorously pounded his chest, encouraging his teammates to maintain the lead and enter the fourth quarter ahead.
And the Timberwolves' most effective offensive strategy was still Stephon Marbury's ball-handling breakthrough, where he forcefully broke through the defense, received favorable calls, and went to the free-throw line.
He made both free throws. In Marbury's mind, he is the true leader of the team, not quite convinced of Garnett's leadership.
Throughout this series, Marbury's offense has been the lifeline for the Timberwolves. Without his counterattacks and solo plays, the Timberwolves' offense would collapse.
Actually, Marbury's offensive efficiency isn't high, similar to last season's finals with Spree, being the only ball-handler capable of breaking defenses in the team.
In the late 1990s, with the trend of slow-paced and defensive games, such a ball-handler was extremely important in the playoffs.
In addition, Marbury has been dissatisfied with Garnett's big contract; having stayed reluctantly, he's naturally unconvincing.
Meanwhile, to prove his leadership, Garnett started engaging in one-on-one battles with Gan Guoyang—of course, on the defensive end.
Even without the ball, Garnett was sticking close, with his height, wingspan, and agile footwork making him a tough one-on-one defender.
But Gan Guoyang, with his extensive experience, rendered Garnett's little tricks ineffective, standing like an immovable mountain.
Even at 36, even having lost much weight, his strength has peaked in his career—this is Gan Guoyang's reliance after making a comeback.
Conversely, strength was Garnett's weak point.
Positioning, catching the ball, Gan Guoyang pressed in and then gracefully spun for a jump shot.
From the zero-degree angle mid-range, Garnett was squeezed off balance and couldn't even jump to contest.
A two-pointer made, tightened the score to one point.
"Did your coach ask you to guard me?" Guoyang asked on the way back to defense.
"I chose to guard you myself," Garnett straightforwardly replied.
"That's good, Kevin, you've got guts. But let me tell you, there's no safe word here."
Marbury fell into solo play, breaking into the paint only to be disrupted by Sabonis, who had just returned to the court.
Sabonis being on the court actually signaled that Gan Guoyang was about to open up offensively, as he was already warmed up.
Trail Blazers' counterattack, Gan Guoyang sprinted down, Garnett quickly returned on defense, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Kobe.
He dribbled with a series of feints, suddenly stepping back, attempting a long-range two-pointer from the right corner!
A poor shot choice, Garnett tried hard to block, but the ball arced high, still going in!
Overtake!
With one minute left in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers finally took the lead, 65:64, over the Timberwolves!
Afterward, Marbury tried to storm the basket again but was blocked heavily by Gan Guoyang, his solo play too self-centered.
There was little synergy with Garnett, and Guoyang had already seen through his offensive pattern.
For the last attack of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang held the ball on the outside, with Garnett lowering his center and watching intently.
As a result, Guoyang dribbled, suddenly accelerated, then stopped for a long-range three-pointer!
With the lead, boldly shooting threes, this was Gan Guoyang's style of extending the advantage.
The ball went in precisely! And almost ran down the clock for the third quarter.
68:64, after Gan Guoyang's return, the Trail Blazers completed the score reversal!
In the fourth quarter, Garnett finally realized he had made a grave mistake.
He misguidedly thought he could single-handedly stop Ah Gan's offensive onslaught, especially when Gan Guoyang found his rhythm and was full of energy.
After warming up, the stiffness disappeared, and the shooting touch was quickly rediscovered.
Facing Garnett, Gan Guoyang continually punished this excellent defensive big man with his mid-range and face-up dribble attacks.
The match turned into an outside duel between two tall players—although Garnett was the one being single-handedly dominated.
Guoyang, having found his rhythm, showed Minneapolis fans why mid-range shooting is a divine weapon.
No elaborate preparations, no exhausting breakthroughs, everyone else just stands still, catch, adjust, shoot, score two points.
In this way, Guoyang made five jump shots over Garnett, along with two face-up dribble attacks, leaving Garnett clueless about Guoyang's next move.
With diverse changes and impeccable tiny details, showing no weaknesses, this was the result of the historical star finely honing his skills over more than a decade at age 36.
Under Guoyang's leadership, the Trail Blazers launched an 18:6 offensive surge in the fourth quarter, completely crushing the Timberwolves.
Gan Guoyang also utterly broke Garnett, as he said, there's no safe word tonight.
Since you're on the stage of one-on-one duels, you must accept the outcome of victory or defeat, life or death.
No third path exists—unless you claim groin pain halfway and let your teammate guard instead.
Garnett chose to stand and fight to the death; toward the end, he despaired at his own performance, his emotional descent visibly apparent.
Yet he persisted, persisting until the very end of the game, persisting until his season completely ended.
When the final buzzer sounded, Garnett knelt on the floor, punched it twice, then got up to embrace Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang tightly embraced this stubborn big guy, patting his shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, the future is yours, it surely is."
99:86, the Trail Blazers won the fourth game with a 13-point advantage, leading the series 3:1, and advanced to the semifinals.